Copy holder



Sept. 8, 1936. H. A. PRIBBLE COPY HOLDER Filed Aug. '7, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l &

Sept. 8, 1936.

H. A. PRIBBLE COPY HOLDE R Filed Aug. '7, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

This invention relates to copy holders, or book line indicators.

The object of this invention .is to provide an improved copy holder, or bookline indicating del vice, to accurately direct the eye of the copyist to .the exact location-on the book to be read.

Another object is to provide a copy holder of the character described in which an improved type of adjustable line spacing bar is incorporated. 10 Athird object is to provide an improved copy holder which is equipped with a line spacing bar which is laterally tiltable and slidably and vertically adjustable. 7

Yet another object is to p rovide an improved 1 copy holder which is equipped with a line spac ingbar which is laterally tiltable and provided with spring pressed means for maintaining the operative adjusted juxtaposition thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide .20 an :improved combination of book holding rack and line spacer adjusting mechanism in which the latter mechanism is laterally adjustable in .relation to the former to accommodate various sizes of .books. a a a V I H I .A further object is to providea copy holder having spacer bar adjusting mechanism which is provided with simple and improved means for .regulating .the distance traveledby the spacer bar. Other and more specific objects-are men- ;30 tioned herein. I a

The invention .is illustrated in the accompany- :ing drawings, wherein 7 v I a,

ll'ig ure 1 illustrates myinvention mounted upon ,a book rack and supporting stand;

.35 .Figurel2 fillustrates a top plan view .of the inventiontogether with fragments of the bookrack';

Figure 3 illustratesla side elevation of the invention, as "illustrated in Fig. 2, and as viewed from the left side .of thelatter;

40 Figure 4 illustrates atop plan .view of the adjustable .block which carries the 'line indicating or spacer bar, the block being broken away in Part,

Figure 5 shows a side elevation of the same 45 mechanism, partly insec'tion, showing thespacer bar carrier post, or mount, in dotted lines;

Figure '6 illustrates an end view of the members shown in Fig.4 as viewed 'fromthe lower end thereof on line 66;

50 Figurel illustrates an enlarged fragment showingthe lever mechanism for adjusting the line indicating or spacer bar; a Y

Figure'8 showsia' side elevation of the upper supporting bracket for the two parallel rods of 55 the spacer barladjusting mechanism "able connection between'thebearlng rods l l and Figure9 illustrates a view of the member shown in Fig. 7 as viewed on line 99 of Fig.7;

Figure 10 illustrates a section taken on line l0l0 of Fig 4;

Figure 11 illustrates two views of clutch carried by the adjustable block;

Figurev 12 shows a sectional view of the clamping nut alone for the adjustable block which car ri'es'the spacer bar post;

Figure 13 .illustra'testhe adjustable post on gig which the spacer bar is mounted, with the spacer bar sectionally illustrated in dove-tail connection therewith; and

Figure 14 illustrates an end view of the adjustable spacer bar post only. a a similar numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views on the draw- Referring now to the details of the drawings the numeral I generally indicates a stand, and "2 an inclined book supporting rack, which is sub- 'stantially rectangular, mounted upon a 'pairgof posts 3, 3 which may be telescopically connected the plate ,5

with the hollow uprights 4, 4 of the stand I'.

The book rack 2 maybe, and'preferably-is, provided with a shelf 5 extending along the lower horizontal edge thereof and which is adapted to function as a rest for'the loweredgeof a large book, such, for example, as a public record book, from which any matter contained therein'i's'tobe '30 copied. Positioned adjacentthe left endof therack 2, and supported thereby, is the improved mechanism for adjusting the line indicating, orspacer bar I, said adjusting mechanism being indicated generally by the numeral 6. The adjusting mechanism unit 6 includes a base, or bed-plate 8,

on the underside of which are rigidly secured' a pair'of spaced bracke'ts 9 and 10"(Fig. 3) in which brackets a'pairof bearing rods H and-12 are rigidly fastened and which extend laterally of the plate 8 into slidable telescopic relation 'witha-pair of spaced supporting and guide tubes 1 3 and M, respectively, which are rigidly mounted in the rack 2 in-any'suitable manner. The-slid- 12 and the tubes I 3 and i4 functions'bothas a support for the adjusting unit 6 and to-enable ready lateral adjustment of the unit 6 toward and away'from'the-rack zto'accommodaterecord books of various sizes. The upper face of the base -plate;8 may carry two book cover gripping plates, or hooks, l5 and I6, respectively, the former being rigid with said base plate and the latter ,slidably -adjustable..55

Q suitable manner, as by screws 2|.

thereon in slots l1 and adapted to be clamped in adjustment by a thumbnut |8 threaded on a suitable stud slidably disposed in a slot H. The adjusting mechanism unit 6 includes a pair of end brackets l9 and 20 which are rigidly fastened to the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the plate 8 and to the under side thereof in any The upper bracket I9 is provided with a lateral extension 22 for supporting the upper end of the two spaced parallel rods 23 and 24 of the adjusting mechanism unit 6, and the lower bracket 20 is provided with a corresponding lateral extension 25 to support the lower end of said rods. The rod 23 has its opposite ends rigidly mounted in the bracket extensions 22 and 25, respectively, 24 is slidably mounted and adjustable in said bracket extensions, as herein described.

The line indicating or spacer bar 1, which normally overlies a record book containing matter to be copied, as is well known in the art, is carried by the post 26 which is adjustably mounted in the'sliding block 21, and the latter is adjustably mounted upon the bars 23 and 24. Preferably, the bar 1 is slidably dovetailed into the top end of the post 26 at 28 and is movable at right angles to the post axis. The post 26 is rotatably mounted in the cylindrically bored laterally projecting hub or bearing portion 29 of the block 21, being also axially adjustable in said block hub, and is held against casual rotation or axial movement therein by the yieldable engagement of the spring pressed stud 30 which engages in the longitudinal groove 3| formed in said post, said stud being urged by the spring 32 arranged in chamber 33 formed in portion 34 of block 21.

The engagement of the spring pressed stud 30 in the post groove 3| maintains the juxtaposition of the spacer bar 1 at right angles to the plate 8 and above a book carried by the rack 2, and in such position the post 26 may be manually rotated, or rocked, to swing the bar 1 laterally upward or downward, as desired, to clear a book top, or said post may be manually adjusted axially thereof to compensate for various book thickness, in either of which adjustments the post is held against casual movement by the stud 30, although said stud may not always be in engagement with the post groove 3|.

The block 21 is provided with the two parallel sleeve sections 35 and 36 longitudinally bored at 31 and 38, respectively, in which bores the rods 23 and 24, respectively, are arranged to enable slidable movement and adjustment of said block thereon. The upper end of the block sleeve 35 may be exteriorly threaded at 39 to receive the tubular clamping nut 40 thereon, the rod 23 slidably traversing an opening 4| in the head of said nut. A yieldable nonmetallic packing 42 is arranged within the tubular nut 40, whereby screw adjustment of said nut causes the packing 42 to be clamped against the rod 23, thereby preventing casual longitudinal movement of the block 21 on the rods 23 and 24.

The block 21 is adapted to be actuated on the rods 23 and 24, step by step, by a reciprocal movement of the rod 24 which is effected by a manual actuation of the tiltable lever 43 which is pivotally mounted at 45 in the lateral arm 44 carried by the lower bracket portion 25, said rod 24 being operatively connected with said lever by a pin 46 and slot 41 connection provided medially of the length of said lever.

Cooperating with the lever 43 for longitudinally actuating the block 21 on the rods 23 and 24 is a and the rod pivotally mounted spring pressed clutch plate 48 loosely mounted on the screw 49 at the lower end of the block 21, said clutch plate being provided with an oval end opening 50 which is traversed by the rod 24, the outer end wall of the opening 50 being normally pressed into yieldable engagement with the rod 24 by a coil spring 5| arranged in the spring chamber 52 in the portion 34 of block 21, whereby the plate 48 functions as a one way clutch to releasably clutch the block 21 to the rod 24 when the latter is reciprocally actuated downward by the lever 43.

Normally, the rod 24 is retracted upward by the coil spring 53 which encompasses an extension of the rod 24, said spring being seated against the upper bracket 22 and the head 54 on said rod extension, the rod 24 being slidable in its bearings in said brackets 22 and 25, as stated. Normally, the lever 43 is held retracted by the action of the spring 53 and thus said lever bears against the side of the lower bracket 25, and in this position of the parts downward action of the rod 24 by lever 43 will cause the clutch plate 48 to grip the rod 24' and draw the block 21 downward therewith and thereby overcoming the clamping action of the nut 40 upon rod 23. Upon release of the lever 43 the rod 24 is immediately retracted by the spring 53 until said lever rests against the bracket 25. During this retractive movement of the rod 24 by the spring 53, as described, the rod 24 slides freely upward through the oval clutch plate opening 50 and the block 21 remains stationary on rod 23, being held against longitudinal movement on said rod by the action of the clamping nut 40 on packing 42.

The distance traveled by the rod 24 when actuated by the lever 43 may be adjusted and regulated to enable the operator to vary the distance traveled by the spacer bar 1, this result being accomplished in the following manner. The shank of the lever 43 slidably traverses an elongated slot 55 formed in the guide post 56 which projects laterally from the lower bracket 25, the extent of the swing of said lever in said slot being regulated by the point of a screw 51 adjustably threaded into and axially of the post 56, the point of said screw functioning as a stop element for said lever at or adjacent the outer end of the slot 55.

I claim:

1. The combination with a supporting element and a pair of parallel rods located adjacent said supporting element, one of said rods being stationary and the other rod reciprocally adjustable by step by step mechanism, of a carrier block supported by said rods and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a spacing bar carrier post rotatably mounted in said block, automatic means for maintaining said carrier post against rotation and a spacer bar carried by said post.

2. The combination with a supporting element and a pair of parallel rods located adjacent said supporting element, one of said rods being stationary and the other reciprocally adjustable by step by step mechanism, of a carrier block supported by said rods and adjustable longitudinally thereof with said reciprocal rod, a spacer bar carrier post mounted in said block and adjustable axially and rotatably therein, spring pressed means for maintaining said carrier post in adjustment and a spacer bar carried by said post.

3. The combination with a book rack, or copy holder, of a frame, a spacer bar supporting and adjusting mechanism carried by said frame, said holder, and means adjustably connecting said frame with said rack, said means including complementary telescopic rods and tubes rigidly mounted in said rack, or copyholder and frame.

4. The combination with a supporting element and a pair of parallel rods located adjacent said supporting element, one of said rods being stationary and the other reciprocally adjustable, of a carrier block supported by said rods and adjustable longitudinally thereof with said reciprocal rod, a clamp carried by said carrier block for retarding movement of said block, a clutch carried by said block for releasably clutching said block to said reciprocal rod, means for actuating said reciprocal rod to actuate said carrier block, and a line spacer bar carried by said carrier block. 5. The combination with a supporting element and a pair of parallel rods located adjacent said supporting element, one of said rods being stationary and the other reciprocally adjustable, of a carrier block supported by said rods and adjustable longitudinally thereof With said reciprocal rod, screw clamp means mounted upon said carrier block and engageable with said stationary rod for preventing casual movement of said carrier block, a spring pressed clutch mounted upon said carrier block for releasably clutching said reciprocal rod to said carrier block, means for actuating said reciprocal rod to actuate said carrier block, and .a line spacer bar mounted upon said carrier block.

6. The combination with a supporting element and a pair of parallel rods located adjacent said supporting element, one of said rods being stationary and the other rod reciprocally adjustable, of a carrier block slidably connected with both of said rods and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a spacing bar post mounted in said carrier block and movable rotatably and axially therein, spring pressed means for maintaining the juxtaposition of said spacer bar post in said carrier block, and a spacer bar carried by said post.

7. The combination with a supporting element and a pair of parallel spaced rods located adjacent said supporting element,one of said rods being stationary and the other rod reciprocally adjustable, of a carrier block slidably and telescopically connected with both of said rods and adjustable longitudinally thereof, a spacing bar post mounted in said carrier block and movable rotatably and axially therein, said post being longitudinally grooved, spring pressed means engaging said post groove for maintaining the juxtaposition of said post, and a spacer bar mounted upon said post.

HAROLD A. PRIBBLE. 

